Acts 2:37-47
Prayer and the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Context: The day of Pentecost- The Holy Spirit is poured out on the people.
The apostles are given the ability to speak and the people around them hear in their native tongues.
Tongues biblically defined is the miraculous event during the time of the apostles, where the person speaking would speak and those around them would hear it in their own language.
They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
So this happens. And Peter stands up to preach and he address the Jews.
They were the ones mocking the Christians.
Peter delivers this sermon to these people.
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—
this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
He basically tells them that they crucified the Savior.
Look in verse 36
Look what happens.
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
Peter preaches. They are cut to the heart.
They come to him asking what they need to do.
Peter tells them to Repent, and Be Baptized, and they will recieve the Holy Spirit.
And he kepts on exhorting them.
Veres 39- Its for them, and all who God will call to Himself.
Verse 40- He tells them to be saved out of the perverse generation. He essentially tells them what will come of the people they are choosing to surround themselves with.
Verse 41- They are baptized.
Now what do they do?
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
4 essential things in the life of the church.
The Teaching of God’s Word. (The Apostle’s teaching)
The teaching ministry of the church must happen.
its the first thing mentioned here for good reason.
They commited to learn from the apostles, because the apostles had learned from Jesus.
There is a standard of teaching. Its not just any study. Its the teaching of God’s word.
Many people take the Bible and turn it to say what they want it to say.
Fellowship (They met together)- This is who the church is.
The church meets. They fellowship. Not for the purpose of just eating. We’ve misidentified what is meant by fellowship. Rather, for the purpose of mutual encouragement in the faith.
Coming together to address specific needs together.
Breaking of Bread-
Could men sharing a meal.
Could mean the sharing together in the Lord’s supper. most likely.
Prayer.
An essential part of the church is prayer.
We’ve seen it already, and now we see it again.
The church devotes itself to prayer.
Prayer is one of the 4 essentials of the early church.
And to be honest I think we have made this point clear already through this study.
The first sermon in Acts, we discussed how the disciples immediately begin to pray after Jesus ascends from them.
Last week, we saw them pray when it came time to make a decision on who would be the next apostle.
Now it is said that one of the things to which they devote themselves is to prayer.
And while I do believe we have made this point, I do think the question once again begs to be answered.
Are we devoted to prayer? As a church, here at Mt. Pisgah?
Or are we prone to act first and pray later?
Maybe you say we are devoted to prayer here?
Are you devoted to prayer at home?
Are you a man or woman of prayer at home?
I want us to continually be thinking about that.
But I want you to see the results of their faithfulness in this:
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
So they do this and what happens:
Look at the results:
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
God kept working.
God kept working through the apostles.
They were performing more signs and wonders.
And the people were becoming more and more filled with awe.
The word “awe” φόβος here more often than not is not translated awe.
Who has a different translation here? (KJV)
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
It is translated fear more often than not.
The word fear is important. Because in Scripture the word fear is used in reference not to being scared, but to be obedient and submissive. They are not just amazed. They fear God, because they see him work.
So in other words, the more they prayed, the more the devoted themselves to the teaching of God’s word, the more they spent time together in fellowship, the more they took in the Lord’s supper,
the more God worked and they became even more fearful of God.
So the first result is a healthy fear of God.
Second we see there is is a healthy love for each other.
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
Faithfulness to God and his word, in fellowship, in prayer breeds love for each other.
They were unified.
They were meeting each other’s needs unselfishly.
They were eating together with genuine love for each other.
Have many churches do you know that operate like this?
Finally.
God was increasing them
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
This is the final step right.
God works through their faithfulness to bring people to faith in Christ.
There was no planned revival event. They were just continuously faithful, and God blessed them.
I believe we have a wrong mindset when it comes to how God works.
We for a long time have sought to schedule and manufacture moves of God.
I want you to see, It is God who grants the growth of churches. You see this here in this passage. The Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
He brings people to Christ.
I want people to be added to our number daily, but I believe God works through the every day, common means of grace to do that.
I believe this all happens when we do what they did in verse 42.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
ADVERTISEMENT